


My Illusion

by krisbeewrites



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-21 14:03:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20694758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krisbeewrites/pseuds/krisbeewrites
Summary: Morgan has been blind since she was 5. When repeat visions of vivid colors and people she doesn't know keep popping up,  she's left confused, and a little mystified. Uprooted from her home, she's moved to another Institute for people with gifts, and she runs into a group of young men who swing her life upside down.





	1. 1

Light laughter floated through the air like a whisp, curling around her bare ankles and winding around her body, clothes fluttering across her body as the wind picked up. Reaching out with a hesitant hand, her fingers touched smooth wood, warmed by the sun she could feel kissing her shoulders, bared by the dress she wore. Fingers curling around the wooden beam to stabilize herself against the gentle swaying of the floor under her feet, Morgan turned her face up to the sun, lips quirking in a smile as a happy cry rose up behind her. Eyelids sliding open, she winced as the bright light burned her retinas, faltering for a second as she realized what this was.

She was having the vision again.

It was the only time there was color in her world, and with a sigh that held her disappointment, she let it wash over her. Colors she hadn’t seen since she was 5 years old danced around her. Vibrant blues, impossible shades of pinks and purples, all different shades of yellow, it was almost dreamlike. For the longest time Morgan had thought it was just that, a dream of forgotten colors and images from a life she couldn’t remember. But everything was just too real. 

Moving further away from the sounds behind her, Morgan walked towards the front of the deck she was standing on, the impossibility of standing upright on a ship flying through the clouds not lost on her, even as she trailed her hands along the wooden rail, so used to navigating by touch that she didn’t even notice she was doing it until she jerked her hand back with a hiss of pain. On reflex, Morgan held her hand up, and the fact that she was able to see the splinter now embedded in her forefinger only added on to the impossibility. Then her eyes moved up, and the bare expanse of the sky, now ablaze with oranges, reds and all the colors of a setting sun held her captive, splinter now forgotten as her hand dropped to her side.

Evertime she found herself here, standing on this impossible ship, she always lost herself in the scenery. The muffled chatter behind her was just that, meaningless chatter that never got louder, except for the occasional shriek of joy or other happy sound. She never turned around to find out who was talking either. It was easier for her that way.

That didn’t mean that she didn’t come out of the vision unhurt. Tears dripped from the corners of her eyes, ones she couldn’t see but she felt them forging a trail down cheeks, and she quickly wiped them off her face before her roommate noticed. Da-Da, usually bouncing around, giving off an energetic vibe that Morgan couldn’t help but be drawn to, was quiet. Fingertips finding her watch, she checked the tiny bumps that spelled out to time and frowned. It was close to noon, usually when Da-Da had the after-lunch crazies, yet after a quick scan of the room, there was a cloud of gloom coming from the corner.

Picking herself up off the armchair she’d been curled up in when the vision took her, Morgan padded across the short carpet on her side until her bare toes touched the shag carpet Da-Da had begged for, and then took the five steps it took to walk to where she was pretty sure her friend was sitting. Hand outstretched, she waited till Da-Da took it with a sigh. Letting the other girl guide her to a good spot to sit, Morgan felt a featherlight touch on her forehead and smiled slightly. Da-Da was always fixing her bangs for her.

“Have you felt the room yet?” came the quiet question, and though it might have sounded strange to anyone else, Morgan knew what her friend meant and shook her head.

“I was waiting for you to tell me what was wrong.” she replied, brows furrowing when Da-Da sighed and started to play with her fingers, muttering something about needing to repaint her nails, and the thick veil Morgan kept blanketed over her version of reality slipped down, and the dark cloud around her friend crept into her bubble. 

Throat tightening as the sadness her friend was feeling magnified itself before Morgan could grab control, and a sob choked its way out, tears beginning to build as the sadness that wasn’t her own took hold.

“Shit, Momo!”

Da-Da released her hand and Morgan brought her hand up to her face blindly, touching the tears as the emotion was snuffed out as Da-Da threw a blanket at her face. Snapping back and shrugging that veil back over her emotions and senses, Morgan sighed, shoulders curling inwards as her heart ached, leftover feelings from the brief encounter with Da-Da’s aura.

“Sorry.” Morgan muttered, but Da-Da tutted at her.

“Don’t do that.” her friend chastised lovingly, and Morgan smiled when her friend reached out to poke at her nose. “You’d think I’d have better control over my emotions after living with an Empath for almost four years.” Da-Da said, almost to herself.

Letting her emotions out just a little, Morgan was able to keep track of Da-Da’s general location as her friend flitted across the room, muttering to herself. Using that and gauging the volume of her voice, Morgan was able to step in front of Da-Da mid pace, and it was only thank to Da-Da’s quick reflexes that they didn’t collide and fall onto the floor.

“Will you stop tamping down whatever is bothering you and just let it out?” Morgan asked, propping her hands on her hips, head tilted in what she hoped was her friend’s direction. “You and I both know that you bottling up emotions is never a good idea. I’m pretty sure Supervisor is still scared after your last little… outburst.”

There was silence and Morgan hoped Da-Da was still standing in front of her. There had been a few times when her friend forgot she was blinder than a bat and had left her behind mid-sentence.

“You know what today is, don’t you?”

The question slid into the silence like a drop of oil into a pond, the ripples bouncing back tenfold and Morgan curled her fingers into fists as waves of different auras and emotions slammed into her. Primarily though, there was sadness. It wasn’t the heart-stabbing sadness she’d felt earlier, this time it was muted and Morgan knew Da-Da was projecting on purpose. But Da-Da’s sadness wasn’t the only thing she felt and Morgan knew her friend was hiding something more important. Unable to help it, her curiostity had the veil slipping again. Every emotion in the building trickled into her consciousness, and Morgan fought against the flow, brain automatically trying to pinpoint each feeling to its owner, bones hurting as her body vibrated, trying to fend off the rising flood long enough to pick up the one feeling Da-Da was purposefully hiding from her. When the tendrils of the unnamed emotion presented themselves, Morgan envisioned herself wrapping it around her hand and stepping back, flood gates snapping shut.

And then Morgan understood. Guilt. Da-Da was feeling guilty that she was going home, while Morgan was just… moving.

“Yes. Relocation Day.”


	2. 2

Fingers clenched around the straps of her backpack, Morgan leaned into the hug Da-Da was giving her, her friend ignoring the shouts to hurry up coming from the others in the bus. Closing her eyes purely on reflex as she buried her face into Da-Da’s shoulder, Morgan did her best to memorize her best friend’s smell. The sweet springtime smell that followed her everywhere, it had driven Morgan nuts when she had first been paired with her. As the years went on though, she was so familiar with the scent that she could pick it out of a crowded room.

“Promise me you’ll try to make friends?” Da-Da asked as she pulled away, voice watery as she fought off tears. Even with her so-called veil in place, Morgan felt it in her chest, the pang of loneliness with the pain her friend felt at leaving her alone, and it took more effort than she cared to admit to keep her smile in place.

“I’ll win them over with my charming personality.” Morgan joked, voice thick with the emotions she didn’t let herself feel, and when her friend chuckled, some of the tightness in her chest eased a little.

“That makes me feel so much better.” Da-Da laughed, and there was a little sniffle, and Morgan assumed she was wiping at her wet eyes. Her friend was a notorious crier. Hearing the shouts for Da-Da to hurry up pick up in volume, she lightly shoved at her friends shoulder.

“You should go.” she whispered, and when two hands grabbed her shoulders, she let Da-Da pull her in for another rib cracking hug, reaching out to pat her shoulder before turning her head to the Agent that had a loose grip on her elbow. All it took was a nod in his general direction, and when Da-Da let go for the final time, Morgan gave a small wave before turning and walking away, knowing her friend well enough that she wasn’t going to be able to walk away if she’d stayed.

“You’ll see her again.” the man guiding her muttered, a light tapping clueing Morgan into the fact that he was texting and not actually looking where he was going. Shrugging a shoulder, Morgan slid her cane from her hoodie pocket, extending the stick with a quick snap, startling the Agent, his fingers twitching on her arm. There was an awkward silence before the Agent cleared his throat, calling to someone across what Morgan presumed to be a parking lot, the smell of pavement and gasoline burning in her nostrils, the sounds of cars starting and reversing before roaring off all around her.

“Morgan, there you are!”

With a small sigh of relief, Morgan paused in place when the familiar voice hit her ear, and the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps got closer. 

“NIce of you to finally join me.” she joked lightly, turning her head in the direction she hoped her favorite Agent stood.

She’d known Agent Reed Perry for most of her life, starting when they were both kids in an orphanage. Somehow, they’d managed to stay close through their time in the system, all the way to landing in the Institute. Since he’d become an agent though, she’d heard less and less from him until he’d showed up a week ago, telling her they were shutting down this branch of the institute. He’d also been the one to deliver the blow that all volunteers were to head home and wait for reassignment, while she, the last ‘mandatory resident’ was being moved to a location in a different continent.

That’s when Morgan knew why they’d sent him to tell her. Reed’s particular power was emotional manipulation, and they had discovered early on that he was able to stop Morgan from slipping up. Given the fact that she was about to be stuck in an airplane for up to 20 hrs, she was glad to see him.

Smirking slightly to herself as Reed smoothly intercepted the other Agent’s grip on her arm, pulling her hand so they locked arms.

“I’ll handle it from here.”

Mimicking her friend’s bossy tone, Morgan felt more than heard the laugh she got in reply, and she rolled her eyes with a sigh. They walked in silence for a bit until Reed led her to a stop, his warning to not knock her head told her they were at the car and she reached out until she felt stiff leather of the seats. Hopping in, Morgan stuffed her backpack between her feet, hands folding her cane with ease and was buckled up by the time Reed climbed into the seat next to hers. 

When she heard him start the car, she turned her face to him, an eyebrow creeping up in question.

“You’re driving?”

“Yeah, I talked them into letting me be the one to travel without.” Reed told her, slipping back into brother mode as the A\C kicked on, the radio screeching on suddenly. Clapping her hands over her ears, Morgan glared at the man as he uttered apologies, hastily turning the radio off. “They wanted to send a full armed guard.” Reed added on when she’d settled back into her seat.

The lightness to his tone told her that he found it funny, but it touched a tender nerve in her, and Morgan slowly closed her hands into fists, pressing them into her demin covered thighs. Fighting to keep her composure, feeling suddenly anxious and jittery, she closed her eyes with a sigh, checking on the veil she’d created as a child to try and keep everything at bay. It was fully intact, and it was only after mentally lifting a corner did she realize what was going on.

Reaching out a hand, she bumped into the center console, but she slid her fingers up and across until her fingertip touched the sleeve of a crisply starched button down. 

Reed’s arm.

FIngertips trailing down, she wrapped her fingers around his wrist and squeezed, eyes still closed.

“Mo?”

“You’re projecting pretty loudly, Reed.” Morgan spoke quietly, knowing that most people didn’t like it when she brought up their inner feelings. “Is everything ok?” she asked hesitantly, ready to give him an out if he protested.

The fact that he didn’t instantly shut her out gave her hope, so when Reed didn’t reply right away, she stayed quiet, turning her face to the sun she felt streaming in through the window, soaking up the rays. She’d always sought out the sun, and Morgan knew that her love for sunlight had ties to something back in her childhood, but after a vivid memory of bright lights, there was nothing. Occasionally, she’d stumble across something that felt vaguely familiar, but life at the Institute was all she really knew.

“I’ve been relocated too.”

Reed’s words snapped her back to the present, the emotions he was still projecting acting as a slap to the face and he had all her attention.

“And it’s not where I’m being relocated to.” Morgan sighed, the anxiousness now making sense. Patting at the arm that was still under her hand, she leaned back into the seat, tucking a leg under her butt. “How long do you have?” she asked quietly and when Reed sighed, she braced herself for more bad news.

“They’re giving me a week. But, there is a good side to this!”

Blinking as Reed suddenly closed ranks, Morgan trying not to cringe at the mental gymnastics she was having to do but she turned her attention back to him when his cheery tone was only slightly forced as he lightened the mood. Smiling to herself at the typical move, Morgan pretended to think. If he didn’t want to talk about it now, she would wait till he brought it up on his own.

“There’s a good side to all this?” she asked with a laugh, Reed’s own laughter echoing hers.

“I have a whole week with you, so I can help you settle in.” Reed finally explained and Morgan laughed, swatting his arm before tucking her hand under her thigh, leaning against the vehicle’s side.

“Which just means I have to make sure you don’t loose us with your terrible sense of direction.” Morgan sighed, ignoring the sudden protests from the driver. “Oh, come on! How is it I have a better inner compass than you do, and I’m blind!”

“Keep it up, sister. Keep it up.” Reed threatened. “You’re gonna make this flight real interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Athena and Shy, THANK YOU. Your help has been very much appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Twelve hours later, Morgan was huddled against the side of the plane, knees drawn up to her chest, headphones pouring music into her ears, trying to get some sleep. But the flight was a full one, and even in Business class, Morgan was feeling a little cramped. The music helped keep her mind off of the different aura’s trying to push past the veil, but it didn’t keep her from feeling every nudge like a red hot poker in her brain. Even with Reed’s hand on her ankle, offering his own version of a security blanket by muffling everything around her, Morgan was about to break down and ask for the sleeping pill she knew Reed had.

She hated waking up after taking the sleeping pill though. Her head felt fuzzy and it was hard to concentrate on anything. It also messed up her balance, and as someone who bumped into things on the regular, that wasn’t a good thing. As a child screamed from the back of the plane, the echoing pulse in her head had Morgan pressing the heels of her palms against her forehead, fighting down the wave of nausea that often occured when the strain was this bad, pausing the music as the added noise only caused her skull to throb..

“Jesus, Mo!” Reed whispered sharply, and Morgan guessed that her sudden movement had woken him up. There was the sound of metal sliding (Reed’s seatbuckle coming undone) and then the rustle of clothing by her side (Reed moving around the middle divider to kneel by her side), and then a cool hand was pressed against her forehead. “You should have woken me up if it was this bad!” he hissed at her, and Morgan managed to stick her tongue out before another shriek from the misbehaving child had her stomach turning and her eyes watering as her skull pounded.

“I told them a commercial flight was a terrible idea, but do they listen to me? No, cuz I’m only a Junior fucking Agent!” Reed muttered under his breath and Morgan so badly wanted to laugh at the whining tone, but there was no way she was opening her mouth until she was sure nothing was coming up. “Here, I know you don’t like them, but please take one.”

The familiar pill that promised a few blissful hours of conked out sleep was placed into her hand, and even though she knew she would regret it, the relief it guaranteed was desperately needed. Not bothering with the bottle of water she’d heard Reed crack open as she tossed the pill in her mouth, Morgan dry-swallowed the pill and buried her face into her arms with a groan.

A heavy cover was placed over her head, and there was a pat to her shoulder as Reed moved away, his buckle sliding back into place. Huddling into a ball under what she assumed to be Reed’s jacket, Morgan turned her music back on, sighing as some of the background noise faded. Feeling her eyelashes brush against her forearm, she also felt the hot splash of a tear falling. 

Most people didn’t know this, but children didn’t know how to manage their anger, and their settings were usually hot and cold, not angry and very angry. And the child that had been screaming had been very, very angry. She’d felt all of it, the rips in the veil letting some slip through, her stupid power magnifying that little bit into a soul consuming rage. The tears weren’t out of anger through. Morgan always knew why she cried, it was the when that she didn’t always know. 

It was frustration that had her tearing up. If she wasn’t even able to handle a plane ride, how was she ever going to convince the higher ups that she could live on her own? Sighing as things starting to dull, Morgan let the encroaching darkness take over, lips curling into a small smile as she felt nothing.

\--

A hand shaking her shoulder had Morgan snapping awake, jerking her head up and consequently banging her head on the back of the seat.

“Ow.” she muttered sleepily, covering a yawn with the back of a hand, ignoring the snort of laughter coming from her side. Pulling the headphones from her neck, Morgan tentatively felt out with her senses, and was slightly surprised to find very little.

“Are we the last ones on the plane?” she asked, tilting her head to the side where she knew Reed was sitting, hearing the noise of surprise he gave.

“I forgot you could do that.” he laughed and said lowly, almost to himself, so Morgan held back from commenting on it. “Yes, I waited to wake you up. By the way, you drooled.” he moved as he spoke, voice fading as he grunted, probably pulling his bag from the overhead compartment.

Hands flying to her face, Morgan felt around her lips with her fingers, freezing when she heard the poorly disguised laughter and realized she’d been played.

“Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you.” Morgan muttered loudly, groaning as she pulled her body up, slinging her backpack over her shoulder, keeping a hand on the back of the seat as her equilibrium faltered, causing her to sway, just like she always did after waking up from a drugged sleep.

“It’s my charm.” Reed said proudly and Morgan snorted, hand reaching up to pat her hair down, straightening her bangs as much as she could without a brush. “Come on, oh vain one.”

Sighing loudly, Morgan let herself be dragged down the aisle and off the plane, still feeling the effects of the pill. The time it took them to navigate the airport and climb into the rental car was all a blur to Morgan, and she was honestly thankful. The instant she was in the backseat of the car, she was out again, but not before hearing Reed laugh to himself again.

The next time Morgan woke up, it was voluntarily.

And she was instantly confused.

She was curled up in the backseat of the rental car, Reed’s jacket acting as a blanket once again. There was also a cool breeze drifting in, the air crisp and fresher than she’d smelt in a while. Wiping at the drool on her cheek, rolling her eyes as she recalled the prank Reed had pulled on her earlier, Morgan stretched her back, groaning as she did.

“You sound like an old lady when you do that.”

“Jesus fuck!” Pressing a hand to her heart to calm it before it beat out of her chest, Morgan sank back against the door she’d jumped for when Reed’s voice popped up out of nowhere. “I hate it when you do that!” she pouted, reaching out to smack at whatever she found, and the light ‘ow’ she got when her fingertips grazed his nose had her glaring.

“Where are we?” she asked instead, nose turning up as another brisk breeze wafted in, the scents of pine causing her eyebrow to raise. “Are we in the mountains?” she asked curiously and threw Reed the middle finger when he audibly gaped at her.

“I still don’t understand how you do that, and it really pisses me off.” He said grumpily and Morgan smirked at him before patting at her pockets, searching for her phone.

“Come on, you’re the one that’s the Agent.” Morgan paused in her search to throw air quotes up for effect. “You’d think you’d have figured it out by now.”

“And you’re supposed to be nice one?” Reed snorted and Morgan threw a wadded up napkin she found in her jeans pocket.

Unable to help the cheer that escaped when her fingers brushed up against the familiar plastic of her phone case, she found her earbud and listened to the mechanical voice read the date and time off to her before listing her options. Knowing this program like the back of her hand, Morgan quickly found out what their location was, and turned to Reed with her jaw hanging down to her feet.

“Why are we in the largest National Forest in South Korea, Reed?”

“Close your mouth before a fly gets in, stupid. That’s why I pulled over. I wanted to explain a few things to you before we get to our destination.”

Obediently following instructions, recognizing the switch in tones which meant Reed was back in Agent mode, Morgan waved at him to continue, indicating she was paying attention.

“The institute you’ve been relocated to is hidden in the National Forest, up in the mountains, so you’ll be able to go outside freely. I know one of the Supervisors here and managed to get you placed in the least populated sector, and I’ve been promised that the people who reside there are super friendly.” Reed spoke as he moved, the creaking of leather as he put his seat back up sending a shiver down Morgan’s spine. “Like I said before, I only have a week with you before I go, so I want to make sure everyone is going to work well.”

“Also to make sure I don’t have a fallout.” Morgan added one with a finger raised and Reed scoffed.

“Not true at all!” He protested, but Morgan kept her finger up and he sighed. “FIne, that too. But don’t hate me, I really want this place to work out for you! It’s a newer facility so it’ll be comfier, and you won’t have to worry about being in with the really weird ones.”

“Now who’s being rude?” Morgan chided gently, instinctually knowing that Reed was making a face at her.

“Shut up.” 

Laughing at the childish tone that crept into Reed’s tone, Morgan nodded.

“Anything else I need to know before we head it?” she asked, and Reed hummed out loud as he thought.

“Nope.” he said decidedly, popping the last sound with his lips, a rustle then a metallic click that Morgan recognized as a seatbelt and then Reed was turning the car back on, the windows sliding up as he did.

Instantly missing the fresh air, Morgan slid her own seatbelt back on and settled back into the seat, fingers working the screen of her phone as she went through her messages. Fighting off the wave of disappointment before it could grow into another depression episode, Morgan chalked up the fact that Da-Da still hadn’t messaged her down to her friend being busy reuniting with her family and moved on.

Morgan knew the instant they got close to the Institute, wincing slightly as the fresh onslaught of emotions brushed against her still tender head. She definitely needed more than a few hours of sleep to recover from that plane ride. Then, there was a delicate brush against the veil and Morgan frowned. It had been deliberate, and foreign. Almost like -.

“We’re here.” Reed announced uselessly as he killed the engine and Morgan pushed aside the curious touch to throw her friend a droll look. “Alright, smarty pants. Just get out of the damn car.”

Chuckling at the small flare of annoyance she felt before he stamped it out, Morgan slid out of the back, backpack already hanging off a shoulder. Shivering at the chill in the air, she happily took in a deep breath, forcing herself to focus only on that and not the thousand pounds of auras that constantly barraged her senses.

She’d forgotten how much she’d missed winter.

“Alright, come on.”

Turning her face to where Reed’s voice was coming from, she latched on to his sleeve as he brushed purposefully past her. Soon her footsteps crunched on gravel instead of pavement, and under the hum of the powerlines, all she could hear was the sounds of a forest, and Morgan grinned. When Reed muttered a warning about steps, she unfolded her cane with her other hand and climbed them with ease.The crisp outside air was replaced with manufactured air when Reed swung a door open.

“Front door.” Reed whispered as he lead her down a hallway. “Each sector has different buildings, so it’ll just be you and the eight others.”

“Palm print is required to open the main door, but they haven’t set yours up yet. Plus, I think it’d be a little rude if we just walked in unannounced.” He spoke again, jarring Morgan from her tentative peek under the veil, where she’d been stunned to find that things were pretty quiet, at least emotion wise. She knew they were there, they were just muted, as if someone else had put up a barrier.

“I’ll be the odd one out again.” Morgan muttered absently, barely registering the snort she got in reply before Reed knocked on the door, the metal echoing in the hallway. Her lips quirked up in a smile as she heard a yell followed by a burst of nervous excitement that rippled through the veil, highlighting her own nervousness and making her extremely glad she hadn’t eaten anything since she’d boarded the plane as her stomach turned and twisted. Then the distant sound of footsteps grew closer until they paused at the door. Morgan could feel the hesitation they felt until they shoved it down and opened the door.

“I’m Agent Reed Perry, I believe you were told of our arrival?”

Fighting the urge to snicker as Reed slid into Agent Perry, Morgan paused as flashes of color swept across her mind, fingers clenching around her cane. The colors rushed past again, followed by the phantom feeling of a warm breeze that carried a note of laughter and Morgan swayed, lightheaded from the assault on her already worn out barrier.

“Oh!” 

“Mo, are you alright?”

“I’m just tired.” Morgan straightened up, a hand coming up to rub at her forehead, the feeling of being beaten by a meat tenderizer, though familiar, making her eyes sting.

A wave of concern that wasn’t Reed’s washed over her, and Morgan frowned as that foreign touch brushed up against her barrier again. It, and the wave of emotion from whoever it was standing in front of her, were gentle, barely touching the veil. Morgan likened it to something akin to the featherlight touch of a finger, not trying to intrude or barge in. 

Like a curious cat.

“Please come in!” the concerned voice of a man broke through Morgan’s fuzzy head, and when Reed put gentle pressure on the hand that had grabbed his arm, she let herself be lead in, kicking her shoes off on reflex. Unable to help the sigh of relief that escaped as she sank down onto the cushion Reed had placed her on, Morgan was happy to let Reed lead the conversation.

“It’s been a long trip.” he stated, and Morgan scoffed lightly. “OK, it was a really long trip.” There was a slight pause, which she could bet Reed used to shoot her a glare for messing up his Agent vibe, but he kept talking. “Sorry for not giving more warning on our arrival.”

“Don’t worry about it.” there was a light chuckle, one that had Morgan smiling slightly. “I’m Kim Hongjoon, and I guess you could say I’m the leader of this sector. We had plenty of warning, so please don’t think about it.”

Tilting her head slightly, Morgan let a tendril of her consciousness out from under the veil, and couldn’t help the raised eyebrow when she found nothing but sincerity coming from the man. From what she could tell, it was his go to emotion and he wore it well. It matched his voice, and Morgan was glad to have someone who reminded her of Da-Da at her new place.

Pulling her power back in, wrapping it around herself like a blanket, Morgan sat up, head no longer throbbing as much. A quick check of her barrier had her perplexed at the lack of cracks. Usually, after going through the torture that was the public, there were at least a few chinks in her armor, so to say. That wasn’t the case here, and before Morgan could search any further, a yelp echoed through the room they were in. Turning to Reed with a raised eyebrow so he could see the question on her face, she was saved from asking any questions when Hongjoon spoke up as someone profusely apologizing could be heard in the distance.

“And that would be Jongho and Wooyoung. I swear those two are children.”

Grinning as he spoke the last part mostly to himself, Morgan felt the fondness he couldn’t help but emote as he spoke of the other sector members. Then there was a shift in the air as Hongjoon spoke again, and this time Morgan knew the question was for her. The curiosity was almost tangible in the air.

“I asked everyone to stay in their rooms when you arrived since we didn’t want to overwhelm you. Do you want to meet everyone now, or do you need some time?”

Wanting to laugh at the man’s delicate way of asking whether or not she needed time to recover so she wouldn’t unintentionally change someones permanent emotional state, Morgan forced herself to keep a small smile on her face as she shook her head. She knew herself well enough to know that prolonging the inevitable was the worst possible thing, and she started folding her cane.

“Now is best.” she said quietly, ignoring the noise of protest coming from Reed’s direction. “The sooner I get used to it, the better.” she told him, knowing that he knew it too. She appreciated his concern though, and she slid her hand along the cushion till she felt where it started to dip under his weight. Doing some quick readjustments, Morgan lifted her hand and patted him on his shoulder, mentally patting herself on the back when she nailed hitting his actual shoulder on the first try. Missing and swatting at the air when it was just them was embarrassing enough, she really didn’t want to learn what it felt like to be embarrassed in front of someone new. 

“If you’re sure?”

Smiling in the direction of the man’s hesitant voice, Morgan nodded, and there was a pause of silence, broken by Hongjoon calling out to the others.

“Alright guys, you can come out.”

Mentally bracing herself, Morgan lowered her barrier an inch, letting the emotions slide in, keeping a firm grip on her current mood. Negative emotions were easier to shrug off even though they were the most intense, and positive emotions stuck to her like velcro. There had been plenty of times when she and Da-Da first started rooming together that Morgan found herself laughing till she cried when Da-Da so much as snickered.

It didn’t use to be that way though, and before she could even crack the door to that memory, Morgan snapped herself back to the barrage of feelings, slightly dumbfounded to find that they were slowly trickling in, letting her mind process each one before she pushed past it. Even as her head throbbed dully in protest, Morgan kept her barrier down, knowing that learning the texture of each persons aura or emotions was crucial to her being able to survive in her new home.

“Guys, this is Agent Perry, he’d from the American based Institute.” Hongjoon spoke softly, and for the first time, Morgan found hersef taking the time to appreciate the timber and tone of his voice. There was a soothing quality to the light tone, and she let it wash over her. “I didn’t get your name, I’m sorry.” 

The apology was whispered in her direction as the group made its way to what Morgan assumed to be the common room, the sound of bodies sitting on various surfaces making their way to her through the emotions. Chuckling, Morgan kept her face turned in Hongjoon’s direction as she introduced herself, not knowing where the others had placed themselves.

“I’m Morgan Lane.” she told him.

“What’s your power and why are you blind?”

“Jesus Wooyoung, you can’t just ask someone that!”

The sound of skin hitting flesh followed the shocked cry, and Morgan bit the inside of her cheek as the man who’d asked the questions let out a whine of protest.

“I just healed his last bruise, could you not give him a new one?” a sigh of exasperation followed the higher male voice, the soul encompassing weariness he emitted threatening to drown her as he moved from one side of the room to the other, Morgan’s eyes tracking his movements unconsciously.

“You heal?” the question came from Reed this time, and Morgan couldn’t help the snort that escaped as she swatted at his thigh. “Sorry.” he muttered, and she could hear him shifting in his seat.

“I guess I might as well start things off.” the man whom Reed had directed his question to spoke, and there was a brief mutter of agreement from a few others before they quietened down. “My name is Choi San, and yes, I can heal.”

There was an underlying note to his simple statement, one that rung heavily in Morgan’s ears, and she got the feeling that there was a side-effect to his power that acted as a counterbalance to the good he could do.

“I’m Jung Wooyoung and I can visit people’s dreams.” the man who’d blurted out questions earlier spoke up, and his tone turned sheepish. “Sorry for being rude earlier, we haven’t had anyone new around here in a while. It’s nice not being the new person!”

“You … visit people’s dreams?” there was pure confusion in Reed’s voice, and Morgan faked a cough to hide her laughter, his confusion wafting in waves over to her.

“Yep! I’m called a dreamwalker.” Pride tinged his tone, and Morgan followed that feeling to the other muted emotions that came from his direction, not surprisingly finding a thick layer of cheeriness hiding a thicker layer of sadness. It wasn’t uncommon to find sadness under happiness, and Morgan slowly drew herself back in, not wanting to intrude anymore than she already had. She knew enough to know he was a good person and she was already getting familiar with how his emotions felt.

“You’re the only one who calls yourself that.” the snort of amusement came from her other side, and Morgan inadvertantly turned her eyes towards the new speaker, the lower timber of his voice sending a pleasant shiver down her spine.

“I’m planting the seed in your thoughts, ok? Soon you’ll be calling me that on accident!” Wooyoung sassed, and for some reason Morgan envisioned a grown man pouting and it made her chuckle.

“Whatever.” the deeper voice muttered, and a shifting of clothing had Morgan assuming he was turning to face her. “I’m Jeong Yunho, and I can control low level electrical currents.”

Once again Morgan sent out a tentative tendril of herself out past her barrier, her mind still processing the barrage of information still coming in, but she’d long since learned how to think about more than one thing at a time, a skill that proved useful in situations like this. That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to have the mother of all headaches later, and she made a mental note to ask Reed for some ibuprophen after the meet and greet.

Finding the usual dual-layer of happiness and sadness, Morgan noticed that the negative feelings had a rougher texture, while the positive slid smoothly through her mental grasp, and it warmed her heart to learn that the man next to her was making a concious effort to focus more on the good than the bad.

“He’s handy to have around when you can’t find your phone charger.” a younger voice spoke up, laughter tittering through the group as Yunho made a half-hearted noise of protest, and Morgan could feel the slight shaking coming from Reed as he tried to keep his laughter under control. “I’m Choi Jongho. I’m strong.”

Again Morgan couldn’t help but hear the pout in his voice, and delved a little deeper to find that he was just dissatisfied with how cliche his power was. But he was gentle to his core, and Morgan grinned at the childish feel some of his emotions still held, while others were slightly more mature beyond his years.

“Cheer up, baby boy. I wish I was just strong.”

Outright grinning at the petulant tone in the next persons voice, Morgan waited as the group groaned around her, confusion falling in waves from Reed as he fought to keep up.

“Song Mingi, I have object teleportation.Which sounds way cooler than it actually is, so don’t get too hyped up.”

Unable to help it, Morgan chuckled, already liking the care-free aura this boy had. She felt the darkness of the secrets he had, just like every one else in the room, but his were buried deep under layers and layers of geniality and the warmth of a good soul. She had a feeling this guy was one of the moodmakers of the group.

“It would be a whole lot cooler if you didn’t drop stuff on my head.” the low mutter caught Morgan’s attention and Mingi gave a bark of laughter, but Morgan didn’t pay it any mind.

She was focused on the new man’s aura. It felt familiar, like the deja vu type of familiarity. The warmth she felt just from brushing up against the cloud-like aura held a note that she couldn’t figure out where she’d felt it before, but Morgan knew better than to over extend her reach and with a small sigh, she withdrew back into the barrier she still had cracked open, emotions swirling around her subconscious, waiting for the chance to latch onto her present and control her.

“Park Seonghwa, and I don’t know how to explain my power without going into detail.” the man spoke again, and Morgan knew that she would be able to pick up his aura or trail of emotions without a doubt. It wafted around her harmlessly and she let the warmth it provided soak into her soul. If there were words adequate enough to explain what it felt like, her consciousness in the midst of the aura, Morgan would have to try to liken it to holding a ray of sunshine in her hands while standing on a beach. If she held on too long, it would burn her.

“He reads eyeballs like tarot cards!” Mingi’s voice was loud, and Morgan had a feeling that it was his normal setting.

“Yeah, except with 100% accuracy forwards and backwards.” Wooyoung let out a cackle as someone sighed. There was a quick smacking sound, and Morgan figured someone had smacked Wooyoung again, or someone facepalmed. Either way, she couldn’t but feel amused and let a smile slip. “See, I am funny, she laughed!”

“That’s because she hasn’t heard it a thousand times before, Woo.” San’s voice was blunt but gentle and Wooyoung make a noise of distaste

“At least you didn’t have to hear him practicing his lines before he said it the first time.” the shockingly deep voice was unexpected and Morgan shot Reed a glare as he turned a snort of laughter into a cough. The foreign touch was back, brushing along the edges of the veil, almost like it was knocking. Tentatively, she lifted the corner, and her jaw dropped when a white whisp floated in, curling around her until it took the form of a man.

“I’m Kang Yeosang, and I’m a telepath.” the corporeal form and the man with the knee-shakingly low voice spoke at the same time.

“I can see you!”


End file.
